Minnesota Father Freed After 27 Years in Prison as Star Witness Confesses to 1998 Murder
MINNEAPOLIS, M.N. — A Minnesota father who spent 27 years in prison for a murder he did not commit walked free this week after the state’s key witness confessed to the killing.
Conviction Overturned After Decades
Bryan Hooper Sr. was convicted in 1998 of the murder of 77-year-old Ann Prazniak, who was found dead inside a cardboard box in her Minneapolis apartment. At the time, prosecutors relied heavily on testimony from Chalaka Young, who told jurors that Hooper forced her to act as a lookout during the killing.
This summer, Young admitted in a handwritten confession that she alone was responsible. In her words, she had grown “soul sick” and could no longer live with the guilt of letting “an innocent man sit in prison for a crime he did not commit.”
The confession was enough for the Hennepin County District Court to vacate Hooper’s conviction.
Flawed Testimony and Withheld Evidence
Young, who was facing unrelated charges during the original trial, received a lighter sentence in exchange for her testimony. Four additional witnesses also testified against Hooper — but each later recanted, admitting they were offered incentives.
Though Hooper’s fingerprints were found in Prazniak’s apartment, he consistently maintained he was not involved in her death.
Family’s Emotional Reunion
Hooper walked out of Stillwater Correctional Facility on Thursday, greeted by his children who had grown up without him.
“Twenty-seven years of missed birthdays, missed milestones, holidays. Twenty-seven years of lost opportunity and time that we can’t get back. But today we don’t have to lose, we don’t,” said his daughter, Bri’ana Hooper.
Photographs showed Hooper embracing his children in emotional reunions outside the prison gates.
Officials Acknowledge Wrongful Conviction
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Morarity issued a statement:
“We are convinced that Bryan Hooper did not commit that crime; he has been in prison for 27 years for something he didn’t do. We can never return what was taken, but we can do the right thing today.”
The Great North Innocence Project, which worked on Hooper’s case, said the exoneration represents both a victory and a painful reminder of flaws in the justice system.
What Comes Next
Prazniak’s case has been reopened and returned to the Minneapolis Police Department for further investigation.
Meanwhile, Young — currently serving an eight-year sentence in Georgia for aggravated assault — is expected to be released in four years. Despite her confession, she has not yet been charged in connection with Prazniak’s murder.
Hooper now plans to remain in the Twin Cities, rebuilding life with his family after nearly three decades lost behind bars.
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